THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

The Leaning tower of Pisa (italian :Torre pendente di Pisa) is the companite , or free sanding bell tower of the cathedral of the italian city of Pisa known worldwide for its unintended tilt. The tower is situated behind the Pisa cathedral and the third oldest structure in the city’s cathedral square (Piazza del Duomo) , after the cathedral and the Pisa Baptistry. Pisa is a city in the Tuscany region of central Italy straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its Leaning Tower . The tower’s tilt began construction in the 12th century , caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure’s weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed in the 14th century. It gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the 21st centuries. The height of the Tower is 55.86/metres (183.27 feet) from the ground on the low side and 56.67 metres (185.93 feet) on the high side. The width of the walls at the base 2.44m (8ft 0.06 in) . The weight is estimated at 14500metric tons (16000 short tons) . The tower has 296 0r 294 steps , the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the staircase . Prior to restoration works performed between 1990 and 2001 , the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5degrees, but presently the tower now leans at about 3.99degrees. This means the top of the tower is displaced horizontally 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from the center.